The invention relates to a slicer and, more particularly, to a slicer for slicing veneers from plastic, metal or wood and, especially, hard, dried, unheated wood.
A veneer cutter or slicer is known from Kraus U.S. Pat. No. 674,562 of May 21, 1901, to have eccentrics or cranks connected to opposite end portions of a knife. Rotation of the cranks then moves the knife up and down generally transversely to its blade, which causes a link pivotally connecting the knife to a frame to impart an additional end-to-end motion to the knife generally parallel to its blade.
A similar veneer cutter is known from Cremona U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,725 of Aug. 7, 1973. The angle of the workpiece to be cut to the knife is controllably variable in this patent as compared to the Kraus Patent in which it is not.
However, neither Patent considers controlling the lengths of the strokes of the up-and-down and end-to-end movements, the phases of the strokes or the frequencies of the strokes, whereby their devices are not suitable for cutting thicker veneers from hard, dried, unheated wood, for example.
Veneers made by such slicers have been subjected to pushing forces and impact forces during the slicing process, causing large cracks (loose grain or un-tight grain), rough faces and damaged, not beautiful textures with broken grains and fibers. Natural strength is reduced. As a result, dried hardwoods cannot be sliced in this way into thick veneers of commercially acceptable quality.